Watching Mo Li's utterly casual expression, Dugu Yan felt her anger flare. Two yellow Soul Rings rose around her, and the second one lit up.
"Second Soul Skill, Jade Scale Blue Poison!"
Dugu Yan opened her mouth and spat out a dense cloud of blue poison, which rapidly spread through the air. Jade Scale Blue Poison had a powerful paralyzing effect.
Back on the street, Dugu Yan had only wanted to teach Mo Li a lesson. She hadn't unleashed the full power of this Soul Skill.
Now, she was clearly going all out.
Not far away, Ye Lingling and Jiang Zhu watched the scene with some concern.
Ye Lingleng was relatively calm, but when she saw Dugu Yan getting serious, worry crept into her eyes. Jiang Zhu, standing beside her, had already summoned her Martial Soul, the Healing Scepter.
She was afraid something might go wrong during the fight.
Looking at the blue poison rushing toward him, Mo Li clicked his tongue without much interest. Then a yellow Soul Ring and a purple Soul Ring slowly rose around him.
At the same time, a dark, shadowy flame gathered in his palm.
"How is that possible?!"
"Huh?"
"A Thousand-Year Soul Ring?"
All three watching the fight cried out in unison.
Mo Li paid no attention to their shock. He swung the flame in his hand, and it surged forward against the wind, sweeping toward the blue poison.
The moment the Black Flame met the blue poison, faint rumbles sounded through the air.
Under the scorching Black Flame, the blue poison Dugu Yan had unleashed with all her strength was completely incinerated by the Nine Nether Fire.
As the mist dissipated, Mo Li's voice rang out. "Senior Dugu, haven't you learned your lesson from last time?"
Dugu Yan was still reeling from the shock of Mo Li's Thousand-Year Soul Ring. At his words, her temper flared, but she took them to heart all the same.
Seeing Mo Li charge toward her, she sprang into motion, darting around the field to evade him.
She was quick, but Mo Li, with his First Soul Skill activated, was even faster.
The two watching from the sidelines saw it clearly: just as Mo Li rushed toward Dugu Yan, his First Soul Ring lit up, and his speed abruptly increased.
Mo Li was just about to reach out and touch Dugu Yan's shoulder when, all at once, she spun around.
He clearly saw a diamond-shaped scale appear on her forehead. Her snake-like pupils, strange and bewitching, held a teasing glint.
As it turned out, Dugu Yan had prepared to use Martial Soul Possession as soon as Mo Li closed in. In that state, all her attributes—especially the potency of her poison—would increase once more.
Mo Li looked a little surprised, but that was all.
With her Martial Soul Possession complete, Dugu Yan opened her mouth and spat out another cloud of blue paralyzing poison.
This time, the poison blew straight at him. She didn't believe Mo Li could react quickly enough. Even a single drop would leave him sprawled on the ground, utterly paralyzed.
Then he'd be at her mercy. The thought brought a smile to Dugu Yan's face.
"Nice timing on that move, Senior," Mo Li praised.
Hearing his voice from within the cloud of poison, Dugu Yan's pupils contracted. She hurriedly tried to retreat.
At that very moment, an arm suddenly thrust through the dense blue mist and clamped around Dugu Yan's smooth neck.
The mist slowly cleared, revealing Mo Li. His expression hadn't changed, and he wasn't squeezing hard; he had simply restrained Dugu Yan.
"Good timing, but your poison doesn't do much to me," Mo Li said with a smile.
Dugu Yan struggled furiously in his grip. She tried to pry his fingers loose, but when she realized she couldn't break free, she snapped, "It's not over yet!"
At the same time, the first Soul Ring around her lit up. A trace of red crept into her green pupils. Her First Soul Skill, Jade Scale Red Poison, had an effect similar to frenzy.
While the Soul Skill lasted, it increased her strength and attack power.
In the brief moment she'd been restrained, she'd thought it through. If Mo Li had the advantage against her poison, she'd fight him hand-to-hand instead.
Mo Li's Second Soul Ring was a Thousand-Year Soul Ring, but from the start of the fight until now, he'd kept her under control so completely that she hadn't even forced him to use his Second Soul Skill. How could someone as proud as her put up with that?
So she decisively abandoned poison and switched tactics. After all, she still had a huge advantage in Soul Power Level.
And she'd already used Martial Soul Possession. Her legs had become a thick snake tail, and she summoned all her strength to coil it around Mo Li's waist.
At the same time, she clutched the arm gripping her neck with both hands, clearly determined to stop Mo Li from dodging away.
Faced with this, Mo Li instinctively reached out with his right hand and seized Dugu Yan's transformed tail.
The strengthened tail carried considerable force. Its lash made Mo Li stumble.
Dugu Yan then yanked him toward her with all her strength. Mo Li had meant to let go at once, but instinctively tightened his grip instead.
Dugu Yan's body was pulled toward him as well.
With Mo Li holding her tail, Dugu Yan's upper body immediately lost its support. She cried out in alarm as she toppled backward.
Mo Li had forgotten about that too. He hurriedly tried to catch her, but both his hands were occupied, so he could only be dragged down with her.
But just before Dugu Yan hit the ground, he managed to release his left hand in time and place it behind her head.
With a thump, they both crashed to the ground.
Dugu Yan landed flat on her back, with Mo Li's left hand cushioned behind her head. His right hand still held her tail, bracing himself so he wouldn't fall completely on top of her.
Feeling the hand behind her head, Dugu Yan's eyes widened. The scales on her forehead vanished, and her eyes returned to normal.
Mo Li was about to pull out his left hand when the sensation beneath his right hand suddenly changed. The snake tail, cool to the touch a moment ago, had become warm, smooth skin.
Mo Li froze.
Dugu Yan had already ended her Martial Soul Possession. What he was holding was no longer a cold snake tail, but Dugu Yan's smooth ankle.
Dugu Yan lay on the grass, one ankle held in Mo Li's hand. Their pose was extremely intimate.
Dugu Yan's face grew redder and redder.
"You won. Now let go!" Dugu Yan lay on the ground, her face full of embarrassment and indignation. This pose was clearly utterly indecent to her.
Mo Li's old face flushed red. He, too, realized how awkward they looked. He coughed lightly, hurriedly released Dugu Yan's ankle, then pulled his hand away and reached out to help her up.
But when he offered his hand, Dugu Yan, her face burning with embarrassment, turned away from him. There was no way she'd accept it.
"I don't need your help. I can get up myself."
Dugu Yan struggled to her feet on her own, straightened her clothes, and shot Mo Li a fierce glare to hide her blush. Then she went over to Ye Lingling and Jiang Zhu.
Seeing this, Mo Li smiled and walked over too.
"Leng Leng." Dugu Yan went to Ye Lingleng with a woebegone expression and linked arms with her, seeking comfort.
A hint of amusement showed in Ye Lingling's eyes as she teased, "That's what you get for bringing it on yourself."
"Wah! Leng Leng, how could you say that?"
Dugu Yan buried her face in Ye Lingling's shoulder and pretended to cry.
When Mo Li came over, Jiang Zhu took the initiative to meet him. She didn't summon her Martial Soul; she and Ye Lingling had watched the entire sparring match.
Clearly, the match had ended with Dugu Yan's defeat once again.
Mo Li smiled at Jiang Zhu, then said to Dugu Yan, "Don't be too upset, Senior Dugu. Our Soul Power attributes counter each other, so I have a big advantage. You actually fought pretty well."
"Get lost." Dugu Yan raised her head and glared at Mo Li, but her pretty face was still flushed.
"Just keep at it," Mo Li consoled her.
"I don't want to hear you talk." Dugu Yan buried her face in Ye Lingling's shoulder again.
The other three present could only laugh helplessly at the sight.